John i



' (No M8881.)

, J. I.V COVINGTON.

PBRMUTATION LOCK E15 @www U5 UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

JOHN I. COVINGTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

PERMuTATlON-LOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 488,648, dated December2'?, 1892.

Application filed January 9, 1892. Serial No. 417,478. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern..-

Beit known that I, JOHN I. Cov1NGToN,.a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inPermntatiOn-Locks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to permutation locks.

The object of my invention is to construct a cheap, eective anddetachable permutation lock which can be readily applied to the thing tobe locked and as readily removed therefrom, and I accomplish this objectby the means hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawingsforming part of this specification Figure lrepresents a book with my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a book constructed to permit the application of thelocking means thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the lock. Figs. 4and 5 represent the two parts of the key used in connection with thelock and the means secured to the book. Fig. G represents the positionof the two parts of the key after insertion in the lock. Fig. 7represents the two constructions of wheels or disks used in the lock.Fig. 8 is a longitudinal cross-section of the lock, when locked with keyin place. Fig. 9 represents a modiiied construction in which all of thewheels are alike in construction. Fig. l0 represents the modifiedconstruction in locked condition. Fig. l1 shows the varying positions ofthe several wheels of Fig. 10.

The lock hereinafter particularly described I have illustrated asapplicable tothe locking of books, but I do not, of course, limit myselfto this use of the lock as it is applicable to various other objects andthings.

Referring to the drawings the book, Figs. 1 and 2 has each of its twocovers provided with a key hole 2 protected by a metal reinforcing piece3 irrnly rivet-ed to each cover. These key holes are preferably locatedwhere most effective in locking the covers of the book together. Thelock which I have invented to use in connection with books soconstructed consists of a series of disks or wheels 4 and 5 inclosed ina cylindrical case 6 provided with a slot 7 in its side to expose toview the numbers. or characters on the wheels and with a slot 8 in eachend corresponding in form to a cross-section of the key. The length ofthe cylinder will vary according to the number of wheels containedtherein, the greater the number of wheels the more difficult orimpossible of course to open the lock. In Figs. 3 and 8 I have shownseven wheels consisting of four wheels 5 provided with slots 9 and threewheels 4 having circular opening 10. These two sets of wheels arearranged alternately as shown, the wheels 5 being at the ends of theseries. Each of the seven wheels has printed or impressed on itsperiphery (see Fig. 7) a series of numbers from O to 9 arrangedconsecutively. Instead of numbers, letters or other characters could beused, but numbers are preferred, and instead of using ten numbers on theperiphery a less or greater number could be employed.

I employ in connection with the lock so far described a two part devicewhich is herein for convenience called a key, it forming a member of thelockingrmeans and consisting of the parts ll and 12, each part, if thelock embraces only three wheels as 4, being provided with threeprojections 13, the number of projections always corresponding to thenumber of wheels 4. The slots in the wheels 5 are stamped out to occupya relative, position to the position of the numbers arranged on theperiphery, so that when the proper combinations is shown through theopening in the cylinder the slots 9 of all the wheels 5 may be in linewith each other and with the slots 8 in the cylinder so that the key maybe inserted or withdrawn therefrom. It follows from this constructionthat each wheel 5 can occupy but two positions that will permitinsertionor removal of key, one being diametrically opposite the other,consequently each lock can be locked or opened on only two differentcombinations determined at the time of construction of the lock. Thewheels 4 having each a circular opening sufficiently large to permitrevolution of same on the key without the movement of one affecting thatof the others, are, therefore, only dummies, and their relative positioncan be disregarded in using the lock.

The operation of the mechanism so far described is as follows: If, forexample, the lock is constructed to open onv the combination 2469 thenthe four wheels 5 are turned until IOO these numbers appear oppositetheslot in the cylinder. The said cylinder is then applied to the bookor other thing to be locked, and the two part key is inserted throughthe key holes of the covers, in case of a book, into thev cylinder untilit occupies the position shown `in Fig. 8 t. e. until the projections ofthe key are within the circular openings of the wheels 4 after which thewheels 5 are each turned more or less as may be desired to bring theirslots 9 out of line with each other and with the slots in the cylinder.The two' part key cannot therefore be withdrawn until the four wheelsare again turned to bring the combination 2469 into view and as theheads 23 of the key cannot pass through the key holes of the covers ofthe book itfollows that the book cannot be opened. In the constructionshown in Figs. 9 to 11 the wheels 14 within the cyl inder are all alike,each having formed in it the slot 15. The two part key 16 and 17 used inthis case has only one projection to each' part, and when the wheelshave all their slots in register it is inserted so that the two.projec,

tions of thekey rest in the first andlastwheels,

in the cylinder. The four intermediate Wheels can then be turned on theshank of thekey to disarrange the combination as illustrated in Figs. 10and 1l. The key canbe formed like an ordinary key as shown in Figs. 4and 5 or it may have a fiat milled head as illustrated in Figs. 9and,10, a retaining head or enlargement being necessary to eReet thelocking, said head being so located as to leave a space between the sameand the end of the case, or nearest wheel, sufficient, for example, toaccommodate the cover of abook.

It is frequently desirable'in addition tol locking a book or otherobject to prevent its be-` ing stolen or displaced and to this endIvhave constructed the key so as to not only permit the connection of achain thereto, butso that the lock will co-operate therewith inprevent-` ing the removal of the chain. Isplit'the shank of the key soas to open the loop 2O of the handle as shown in Fig.` 4 the twoseparated parts 18and 19 being capable of beingpressed apart to allow achain 21 to pass through into the loop, and in their closed conditionfitting into the slot in the cylinder and thus closing the entrance tothe loop 2O and preventing the withdrawal of the chain. The chain thussecured to the book may be fastened to a desk,l stand or othersuitablesupportbya staple 22 as shown in Fig. 4, or in any other suitablemanner. y y

I do not in this application claim the combination with a book of avseparate ,locking means, as I have claimed such combination in anapplication tiled October 7,1891, Serial No. 407,974.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byUnited States Letters Patent is,

1. A lock consisting of aseries of numbered wheels provided withopenings, and a two part key, each part of which is provided with aretaining head and is adapted to pass into the openings in said wheels,said retaining head being so located as to leave a space between it andthe nearest wheel when the key is inserted, substantially as described.

2. A lock consisting of a series of numbered 7 wheels provided withopenings, and a two part key provided with projections, eachv part ofsaid key having a retaining head and adapted to enter into the openingsinsaid wheels, said retaining head being so locatedas to leave a spacebetween it'and the nearest wheel when the key is inserted, substantiallyas described. 3. A lock consisting of a case provided with slots or keyholes in its ends, a series of numbered wheels provided with openings,and a headed key adapted to be passed through the Islots of the caseinto said wheels, the heads of said key beingso located as to leave aspace between the same and the ends of the case when the key isinserted, substantially as de- I scribed.

4. A lock consistingof acase provided with slots or key holes in itsends, two sets of numbered wheels of l which one set. is provided withslots and the other set with circular openings, and a headed key adaptedto lbe passed through the slots ofthe case into said wheels, the lheadsof said key beingso located as to leave a space between the saine andthe ends of the case when the key is inserted, substantially asdescribed.

, 5. A lock consisting of y.a ycase yprovided'with slots or key holes inits ends, as eries of numbered Wheels provided with openings, and a two.part'headed key Vprovided. withv projections and adapted toV be passedthrough the slots of the case into said wheels, the heads of said keybeing so located as to leave a space between the same and the ends ofthecase when the key is inserted, substantially as described. y

. 6. A lock in combination with a key having a split shank formingan/open looped handle,

the said shank passing into the lock closing the opening to the loop,substantially as described. l

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 7th dayof January, A. D. 1892.

Jol-IN i. COVINGTON.

Witnesses: p

C HAs. L. WISE, RUDOLPH H. REDDIsH.

IIO

